John Pesutto declares Lib ‘responsibility’ to win election and steer state from ‘troubled waters’
John Pesutto earned a standing ovation at the Liberal state council after ripping into the Allan Labor government over debt, taxes, CFMEU and axed Commonwealth Games.
Victorian Opposition Leader John Pesutto earned a standing ovation at the Liberal state council after he launched a scathing attack on the Allan Labor government over debt, taxes, the CFMEU and the axed Commonwealth Games and vowed to contest every inch of the state at the next election.
Following on from his federal counterpart Peter Dutton’s address to the council on Saturday, the state Liberal leader began his speech on the second day of the event to declare it is a “responsibility” to win the 2026 election as Victoria had drifted into troubled waters under Premier Jacinta Allan.
“We are faced with a clearly corrupt government. We are faced with a business community that is smashed day in, day out. We have a state whose confidence is sapping because of the punitive tax regime,” Mr Pesutto told the crowd.
“Our reputation as a state has been taking battering after battering, whether it was the Commonwealth Games, and now whether it is the CFMEU.”
The state opposition leader accused Ms Allan of enabling the CFMEU after allegations of criminal conduct, bikie links and standover tactics on Victoria’s Big Build sites came to light.
He called for an upper house inquiry.
“She enabled it by preferring the CFMEU in agreements across worksites ... on the one hand she turned a blind eye, on the other she gave a wink and a nod to the most corrupt organisation around, the CFMEU,” he said.
“And by its complicity, by enabling, this Allan-Labor government is corrupt too.”
He said the independent review ordered by the state Labor government into the CFMEU and the construction sector would do nothing.
“Now unlike the Commonwealth Games upper house inquiry ... Premier Jacinta Allan says she’ll appear before this review.
“She’s prepared to appear before it because she knows it will go nowhere,” Mr Pesutto told the crowd.
“We’re not going to let this matter go. We’re going to pursue it.
“And the Premier might think that the caravan will move on, but we’re standing in front of it ... this issue is going to remain on the table.”
Mr Pesutto also renewed his call to release contracts that have been signed and those in the pipeline for the Suburban Rail Loop.
The Labor government was slammed over its debt and approach to taxation, which the Opposition Leader argued would hurt the next generation of Victorians. “We understand the significance of protecting our reputation as a safe place to invest,” Mr Pesutto said.
“We understand the sanctity of sovereign risk and making sure that global capital can come to Victoria without fear that governments will screw you over, like they did on the East-West Link, like they did on the Commonwealth Games.”
Mr Pesutto’s speech not only served to slam his political rivals it was also an opportunity for him to motivate and unite his party.
He announced his party’s new housing policy to establish clear timelines for cultural heritage processes and revealed his vision to target votes in multicultural communities.
“Let’s not be weighed down by the history of how seats have been held. Let’s look at them with fresh eyes. Because I can tell you there are multicultural communities ... and they’re aspirational, they’re enterprising, they love the rule of law in the sense that in Australia you can live in a place where there is security,” Mr Pesutto said.
“That’s us, that’s our shtick, that’s what we should be out there prosecuting with them.
“We will fight for and contest every square inch of this state.”
The federal Opposition Leader on Saturday said Australians “deserve something better” and were grappling with the cost-of-living crisis, crime and a breakdown of social cohesion.
It was announced at the council that Victorian Liberal Party president Philip Davis would remain in his role after being challenged by the former member for Burwood Graham Watt.
More Coverage
US ‘on track’ to sell Virginia-class subs to Australia
US Congressman and leading AUKUS supporter Joe Courtney, has played down the prospect of the US backtracking from its commitment to sell Australia nuclear-powered submarines.
‘Speak as many, not as one’: Indigenous leaders distance themselves from Thorpe’s tirade
Indigenous community leaders say Senator Lidia Thorpe’s outburst in Parliament House was done 'her way' but that Aboriginals had a 'right to be negotiated with', as they discussed meeting King Charles.